Dental floss holder



July 14, 1942. J. E. BURNS 2,289,625

DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Filed June 2 4, 1941 Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER,

' Joseph E. Burns, Syracuse, N. Y. Application June 24, 1941, Serial No. 399,539

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to dental floss holders for cleaning spaces between teeth and the like, and more particularly to a simplified construction in which a frame is provided for holding a conventional dental floss container and tensioning a length of dental floss withdrawn from the container.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a dental floss holder and tensioning device formed of a single length of resilient wire.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder formed of a single length of resilient wire in which the ends of the wire are spaced from each other and have thread gripping extremities, each comprising laterally disposed coils to permit wedging of a string of dental floss between the coils together with stop means formed adjacent the coils to limit the wedging movement of the thread between and toward the axial center of the coils.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dental floss holder formed of resilient wire with diverging tensioning arms secured together at one end and having thread gripping means at the other end, and in addition the provision of container gripping means laterally offset from said arms between their thread gripping extremities and their joined ends for receiving a container therebetween and clamping the container when the extremities are brought towards each other to tension a string of dental floss secured to the gripping means at the free ends of said tensioning arms. A

Other and further objects of the invention will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dental floss holder and tensioning device constructed in accordance with my invention; 1

V Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the holder disclosed in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional viewof the intermediate container holding portion of the device taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the intermediate receptacle holding portion of the device and looking at the side opposite to that seen in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in elevation looking from the line 5-5 of Figure 1 toward the thread gripping member;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 looking at the other side of the thread gripping member from about on the line 66 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of holder in which provision is made for clamping a cylindrical dental floss container at the intermediateportion of the holder; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view taken at right angles to Figure '7 and showing the opposing rebent arms for engaging the cylindrical receptacle.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawing wherein I generally denotes a frame formed of a single length of resilient wire. The frame comprises two diverging arms 2 and 3 and an intermediate dental floss container holding portion A. The diverging arms 2 and 3 are bent angularly downward respectively at 5 and 6 and each terminate in a laterally bent portion 1 rebent on itself at 8 to form a short stop bar which will be hereinafter referred to.

The wire is rebent inwardly as at 9 and coiled to provide a plurality of spaced thread clamping coils In. The rebent portions of the wire 1 and 8 project beyond the ends of the coil II] as indicated at H and I2. After the coil II] is formed the wire is bent longitudinally outward from the coil a short distance as indicated at [3, and then rebent on itself to form a second stop bar l4 extending along one side of the coil l0 and terminating beyond the end of the coil as indicated at l5. The stop bar [4 is disposed opposite to the first stop bar formed by the rebent portions 1 and 8 above referred to. The intermediate portion of the wire indicated generally at 4 as seen in Figures 1 to 4, is in the form of a circular loop portion I6 having laterally offset clamping arms I! and I8 in opposed relation at opposite sides of the loop portion I6. A third clamping arm or bracket 19 is formed in the loop portion opposite to the diverging arms 2 and 3. These three clamping arms or brackets 11, I3 and I9, or more if preferred, constitute holding or clamping means for a con ventional disc-shaped dental floss container as indicated at 20. Specifically describing the formation of the brackets I1, 18 and I9, each are formed by first bending the wire from the loop portion outward radially of the loop a short distance as indicated at 2|, and then laterally away from the loop portion as indicated at 22, after which the wire is rebent inwardly at one side of the loop portion as at 23. The extremities of these brackets or clamps extend inwardly towards the center of the loop portion and may be curved slightly as indicated at 24 in Figure 3.

Referring now to the modification disclosed in Figures 7 and 8, the diverging arms 2 and 3 are joined together at their ends by a rebent or loop portion 25 designed to project laterally and constitutes an end stop for a cylindrical dental floss container of the conventional form as indicated at 26. The arms 2 and 3 are bent outwardly intermediate of their free ends and the connecting or loop portion 25, and are recurved towards each other to provide resilient clamping arms or offset portions 21 and 28 for engaging the opposite sides of the container 26.

The intermediate receptacle holding loop portion 4 of the device is put under some tension when a dental floss container is pushed in between the clamping arms or brackets I1 and [B of Figure 1 (or 2'! and 28 of Figures 7 and 8) which causes the said clamping arms to normally engage the opposite sides of the floss container, securely holding the same in place in the holder.

In tensioning a length of dental floss across the free ends of the resilient diverging arms 2 and 3, these arms are pressed toward each other, thereby shortening the distance between the coiled floss gripping extremities IU of the said arms. As the diverging arms are pressed toward each other, this increases the pressure of the opposing clamping arms I! and I8 (or 2'! and 28) on the opposite side portions of the floss receptacle positioned between the arms and holds the receptacle more securely in place. Also, the engagement of the clamping arms I? and 18 (or 27 and 28) against the sides of the receptacle causes the spring tensioning action of the diverging arms to occur mainly between the receptacle engaging portions of the arms and their free ends, and not throughout the looped portion. The receptacle acts as a strut between the arms which shortens the effective bending length of the arms, so to speak, thereby substantially stiffening the arms.

In the use of the device a length of dental floss is withdrawn from the receptacle 20 (or 26) and first wrapped several times around the gripping extremity ID of the arm 3. The stop bars 1-8 and I4 prevent the thread of dental floss from being drawn into the coil too far or any possibility of the thread from being drawn through the coil and becoming tangled. The two arms 2 and 3 are pressed towards each other as by applying downward pressure on the wire .2 by

means of the users thumb or finger when the container and its holder are held in the palm of the hand and the thread is now tensioned and wrapped around the other coil IE) on the arm 2 in a similar manner. The arms 2 and 3 are then released and the inherent resiliency of the wire forming the device exerts tension on the string of dental floss stretched across the opening between the ends of the arms 2 and 3. By utilizing the stop bars at opposite sides of the coil, the thread may be quickly and conveniently tensioned across the ends of the arms 2 and 3 and readily adjusted or replaced.

While the specific details have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto, as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a dental floss holder, a pair of resilient arms secured together at one end and having their opposite ends spaced from each other and helically coiled to form closely coiled thread gripping extremities for securing the opposite ends of a length of dental floss therein and tensioning the same between the coiled extremities of the arms.

2. In a dental floss holder, a pair of diverging resilient arms secured together at one end, having their opposite ends spaced from each other and bent laterally and helically to form laterally disposed closely coiled thread gripping extremities for securing the opposite ends of a length of dental floss under tension between the said laterally coiled extremities of the arms.

3. In a dental floss holder, a length of resilient wire reversely bent intermediate its end portions to form an intermediate dental floss container holding loop portion and opposing container gripping portions at one side of the loop portion, the end portions of said wire diverging away from said loop portion to provide spaced resilient arms each bent laterally and coiled at its free end to form a laterally disposed spirally coiled thread gripping member, and means extending longitudinally and exteriorly along at least one side of the spirally coiled gripping members to limit the movement of a thread of dental floss into the space between the coils of the gripping members as the thread of dental floss is tensioned across the space between the free ends of said arms and wrapped around said coiled gripping members.

4. In a dental floss holder, a length of resilient wire bent intermediate its ends to form a loop having a plurality of spaced opposing resilient clamping arms extending laterally from one side of the loop for receiving a dental floss container and holding the same at one side of the loop, the end portions of the wire beyond the loop portion diverging away from the loop portion and terminating in closely coiled resilient thread gripping extremities.

5. In a dental floss holder, 3. pair of resilient diverging arms secured together at one end, said arms having thread gripping means disposed on the free ends thereof and formed with laterally disposed olIset container engaging brackets extending from the same side of the holder intermediate the free end of each arm and the portion joining the other arm, whereby when a thread of dental floss is tensioned across the free ends of the arms and secured in the gripping means at the ends of said arms said laterally disposed oiTset brackets are tensioned towards each other to grip the opposite sides of a dental floss container positioned at one side of the arms and between said brackets.

6. In a dental floss holder, a thread tensioning frame formed of a single length of resilient wire bent to form spaced thread gripping arms, the free end of each of said arms being bent laterally to form a short laterally disposed stop bar and coiled alongside f said short bar to form an adjacent thread gripping coil, the wire extending beyond the coil being rebent to form a second stop bar substantially parallel with the firstmentioned bar and extending along the outside of the thread gripping coil opposite to the firstmentioned bar.

7. In a dental floss holder and thread tensioning device, a supporting frame formed of a single length of resilient wire bent intermediate its ends to form a laterally offset dental floss container holding portion with tensioning arms diverging away from one side of the container holding portion, the free ends of each f said arms being bent to form a laterally disposed resilient thread gripping coil for gripping a length of dental floss at spaced points, the wire adjacent each end of each coil being bent longitudinally of the coil to form stop bars at opposite sides of the coils to limit movement of the dental floss toward the axial center of the coil when a length of floss is tensioned across the ends of the diverging arms and wrapped around said gripping coils.

8. In a thread tensioning device, a frame formed from a single length of resilient wire comprising a looped portion having spring arms projecting therefrom and terminating in spaced resilient coiled thread gripping extremities extending from the ends of the arms, and stop means extending along the opposite exterior sides of the coiled extremities and cooperating therewith to limit movement of a thread clamped between the coils toward the axis of said coils.

9. In a thread tensioning device, a frame formed from a single length of resilient wire comprising a looped portion having spring arms projecting therefrom and terminating in spaced resilient coiled thread gripping extremities projecting laterally from the ends of the arms, stop means extending along the opposite exterior sides of the coiled extremities and cooperating therewith to limit movement of a thread clamped between the coils toward the axis of the coils, and dental floss receptacle receiving and clamping arms formed on the looped portion aforesaid by bending the wire of the looped portion at spaced points outwardly of the looped portion and rebending the same laterally in the same direction at the same side of the looped portion and again bending the same toward the center of the looped portion to provide arms projecting over one side of the looped portion for clamping a conventional dental floss container between the looped portion at one side thereof and said clamping arms.

10. In a thread tensioning device, a spring frame formed from a single length of wire and comprising an intermediate thread receptacle clamping portion and a pair of thread tensioning arms diverging from one side thereof and formed with thread clamping means at the outer ends of said arms to engage a length of thread when withdrawn from the receptacle, said receptacle clamping portion comprising at least one pair of opposing spring arms projecting laterally in the same direction from one side of the spring frame and adapted to support a thread receptacle with said spring arms engaging at opposite sides of the thread receptacle.

JOSEPH E. BURNS. 

